Seven Years
by IvoryTroll
Summary: Seven years can change a lot of things...


In first year when James Potter asked Lily Evans out she stared incredulously at him for just a second before hexing him so that his nose turned purple for three days. His friends were no help of course, simply choosing to laugh at him.

In second year when James asked Lily out she narrowed her eyes and glared but otherwise did, or said, nothing. He walked away feeling rather proud that he hadn't got hexed, though slightly miffed that she hadn't said anything at all. Sirius, helpful as ever, managed to ruin it by whisper-shouting in his ear, "I think you're in with a chance there mate". Lily glared once more at James when he turned around before hitting him with a Jelly-Legs hex.

In third year when he asked Lily out she tilted her head to one side in a semblance of giving it consideration while James hovered nervously but with a hopeful expression. Finally she looked him straight in the eyes and said, "No." James, completely crushed, went straight to his dorm room and DIDN'T cry, no matter what the people who were SUPPOSED to be his FRIENDS said.

In fourth year when he asked her out, he hadn't actually been annoying her all week because she'd been hanging around with Severus "Snivellus" Snape and had been ignoring him even more than usual. When he despondently made his almost-weekly-ritual-asking-out he wasn't surprised when Snivellus answered for her with a sneer and sarcastic remark. He was angry though and the resultant exchanging of hexes and cures landed them both in the Hospital Wing with an unsympathetic Madame Pomfrey.

In fifth year James tried again.  
"Hey Lils! Do you wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?"  
Expecting a no, she completely shocked him by saying yes.  
The date, when it came around was a complete disaster. James, too hyper to come down to earth, forgot to make reservations at any restaurant. Then, sitting in The Three Broomsticks sipping at butterbeer, James couldn't think of a single thing other than Quidditch to talk about. Needless to say Lily was bored out of her brain and James, feeling uncomfortable now, suggested they go back to Hogwarts. Lily agreed immediately, which only caused to make James feel worse. However she made up for it by saying goodbye with a quick kiss to his cheek, making James and herself blush and for James to stand there in the castle doorway looking like a complete idiot for nearly ten minutes, hand to his cheek.

In sixth year he didn't even try to ask her out. Instead he tried to apologise, tried to be grown up because he knew that Sniv... Snape was one of her friends. He didn't even manage to try to explain before she let loose.  
"How could you James? How could you? Remus! Your _friend_! And Severus... You could have killed someone James!" Lily was fuming, her eyes flashing and her red hair almost glowing. She turned away from him in disgust.  
"Lily!" he called to her retreating back, "Lily, it... It wasn't my fault..." He ended in a whisper as she whirled back.  
"Wasn't your fault? Wasn't your FAULT! He... They're both your BEST _FRIENDS_ James and you betrayed them. It's all your fault." She turned away and ran up the stairs to the girls dormitory. James just stood there as the truth of her words sank in.

In seventh year things had changed. There was a war, alliances had changed and suddenly playground squabbles didn't matter any more. Lily was struggling to cope with Snape turning to the Dark side, him turning against her, hating her and James didn't want to intrude. Most of the time he was too busy with early auror training anyway to attempt to form a now joke-like proposal. He was contemplating this, how things had changed, when he heard someone approach and, turning, saw Lily sit down next to him at the top of the astronomy tower.  
"Hey," she whispered, her voice rough from crying.  
"Hey," he whispered back, tentatively smiling. She smiled back which made her look more like herself again, not the new strange Lily she had become after being betrayed.  
"James I..."  
"Lily I..."  
They both stopped and James smiled sheepishly. "Ladies first."  
"James I've just realised that you haven't attempted to ask me out for quite a few weeks. I was just... Just wondering why?"  
James looked shocked for a moment before answering, "Well, you're so sad with the whole Snive...Snape thing and I didn't really want to upset you and you know how scary women are when they're all hormonal and crying and stuff that I ju..." Lily cut him off with a finger to his lips.  
"James. Ssh a second OK?" He nodded and she seemed to be in deep thought for a second or two before she started talking again. "When you first asked me out I hexed you because I thought you were a complete idiot although admittedly not much has changed," she smiled at his outraged face before continuing, "Then you kept asking me out badgering me and annoying me and acting like a complete child but we _were_ children and nothing was real. Then we go older and I went on that date with you because I thought I should start growing up but we both just weren't ready. And then... and then Sirius betrayed Remus and Sn..." A pained expression crossed her face before she ploughed on, " Anyway I was angry, really angry James, because you didn't stop him and so really _you_ betrayed Sirius and Remus and even... And not only was it _the_ most idiotic thing you have ever done, it hit me that everything was real. People could _die_ and here I was getting annoyed because you kept asking me out. I realised that I liked you," James' face lit up so she rectified her comment, "But love wasn't real yet, love didn't exist and still nothing felt real. And now... And now it's the war and people are dying and you're going to rush off into it like the idiot you are without me ever saying..."  
"I love you."  
"I love you"  
They said it in unison and Lily giggled slightly. "Do you mean it?" she asked tentatively.  
"Yes. Do you?"  
"Yes."  
"Hey Lils!" said James, "Do you wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?"  
He had never been happier to hear Lily's laugh.


End file.
